Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-01
LAYING BARE The HUMAN BRAf
Heroic Treatment for Epiiepsy-An OPERA
ton Recently Performed with Success 81
st. Ehzabeth's Hospital

ton Recently Performed with Success 8
st. Elzabtih's Hospital
New York Tribune.
Epilepsy, until recently, has baffled tn;
ingenuity of medical experts. The cpl
LEIPZIG patient until & short time ago ws
compelled to suffer the pangs of q .Sdi
ease, while medical science stood by wi
hands raised in pity, but helpless. Thd
was nothing for him but death, and
WAS considered me;ciful relief; but
cent experiments have brought abouj -
change. 1t has been established that epi-
lepsy is due TO some interference with
natural functions of the brain, either by
nonconformity of skull or some abnormal
growth in the brain substance.
1t has been shown in living animals
that weak galvanic current, Spoiled to
certain POI tions OF the brain, would ex-
cite specific muscular movements, anI by
experiment with the current il has been
found that the brain is made up of motor
areas, and each area controls the motiOn\
Of certain muscles. The localization of
t moo areas is only in it's infanc,t, but
enough is known>nOw about the subject
to enable sklllful surgeon to pick out
the locality where the PAIN has not fall
plsy and to localiZe the seat of the cpl
lepsy with some degree Of certainty. irhe
external manifestation of the brain DO
struction is looked for in the muscular
system. When il is settled where the
brain interruption is, the cure is within
the reach of surgery, if properly applied.
There is now a patient at St. Eliza 7
beth's hospital who has been subjected to
this new treatment and with marked sue
cess. Jhe patient il Joseph Martinez, a
thlrteen.year-old boy. He WAS admitted
to the hospital about three weeks ago.
About three years ago, while at school in
France, young Martinez was struck on
the head with large glass mug. large
cash was made il the scip by the blow,
and the wound bled freely. After about
four weeks tres tment the wound healed,
ana the boy soon Tegained his normal
condition. For q time he remained. well.
Then he became Iistess, did not take sSv'
interest IN study or play, and in about
two years after he was in jured he had to
give up school, and came to his home in
this country. He compliance of constant
pain in his head, and of dizziness. He
had fainting fits, and was subject to yio-
lent commissions.
Several physicians treated the boy for
different complaints, but be did not i'm
prove, and his csse> was considered puz-
cling. Despite every thing that was done
for him, the commissions came 0tenecA
and with greater violence; the pain in his
head was unbearable, and he was so
dizzy that he moved in constant fear of
falling. When admitted 90 the hospital
he was carefully examined By Dr. T. j.
Keane, the consulting surgeon, who has
made a special study Of epic psY, and the !
trouble was found to be in the boys
skull. The blow on his head had frac-
tured the skull at the junction of the
frontal and parietal bones. The depres1
sion was not seen by the bungling drug
gist who inst attended the patient. Thu
result was that as the brain increased j
size the pressure upon it became greate1
and the epileptic tit ensued.
1t was not necessary to use any art
cial means to dett rmlne the location
the injury in this case, es the Geprcssi
could be easily felt. An operation W
advised as the only treatment that cou
be of any benefit AS the boys syste
was run down, he was put upon cour
of tonic treatment to give him strength
stand the shock, and then the operate
wds performed.
Ether having been given to the pat
the hair WAS cut from his head over
place where it lad been injured. II
two incisions were made In the SEQ
which We're projected to point, and
flesh was raised from the bone wit
knife. The CT preston was well mari
A medium sized trephire was applied
the depressed bone at the deepest po
and the work of boring through the ST
was begun. Carefully wss the insl
ment turned half way round and b
sgain, under slight pressure, until II
streaks Of blood appeared in the shay
OF the bone, which indicated that
outer table OF tie skull had been pe.
trated. The same motion was kept
with greater csution, and q small prG
WAS inserted from time to time in the
in the bone to find it's depth. Gradt
the trephne sank through the inner t..
until the probe struck 8 soft substancd
This was the brain. No more cutti
was done: and by using fine, biz
hook, round button of bone, about
inch in diameter, was torn away.
palpitating brain was exposed, and
pressure upon it forced it through
surrounding skull, so that portion
truded. 1t was slightly congested. \
bone which was pressing upon the
was cut into pieces by forceps and
away. The hole was enlarged IN
way until it was larger than hal
lar. All the fragments of bone
picked up-by iorceps from the braiJ
the surface was then thoroughly vs.
with q bi-chloride of mercury so
The wound was dressed and the
bandsgeG, and the patientMHSx
his cot.
The Improvement in his
immediate. No bad sym
the trephining Since the
have been no conyuls.oI
ness. Inside of o wee
walking through Il
gained flesh and s
an epileptic symp1
from the present
been radical
leave the hospi
hole in his sku
and hearty.